The present invention relates to towing devices of the type capable of towing a plurality of agricultural implements both on the road and in the field. More specifically, the towing apparatus of the present invention is capable of altering the disposition of the towed implements so that the implements will be in alignment for on the road travel and spread apart in the desired overlapping array for field use.
The prior art has proposed a variety of structures for towing multiple implements over the ground and for altering the array of the implements for on the road movement. However, the prior art devices have suffered from a number of deficiencies and disadvantages. Specifically, it has often been difficult to change the arrangement of the towed implements when it has become necessary for the tractor to move between the field and public highways or roads. Often it has been necessary for the tractor driver to stop the tractor and engage in complicated and time consuming rearrangement of the elements to render the implement array appropriate for either the road or field use. Also, in many arrangements, it has been difficult to arrange the towed implements in such a way as to maximize the surface area covered when the implements were being put to use in the field. In many arrangements, due to the surface area spanned by the elements of the towing apparatus, expensive structural reinforcements were required, particularly where the towed elements were being put to agricultural use over terrain that was rough and uneven and which therefore resulted in very high stresses being placed on the connecting elements of the towing apparatus.
In attempting to overcome the foregoing problems, the prior art has often failed to take into consideration the desirability of providing a towing apparatus that could accommodate a variety of different types of agricultural implements either in one towing operation or when it was desired to tow a plurality of different implements in a single pass over a field to accomplish simultaneously different agricultural functions.
In other arrangements, the towing apparatus has required structural modification of the tractor itself which is often undesirable due to the many other diverse uses such farming tractors are put during the course of a growing season.
In accordance with the present invention, a towing apparatus is provided which permits the simultaneous towing of up to three agricultural or other type implements and which can easily rearrange the disposition of these implements for on the road or field use. In one embodiment, a main towing arm is provided which has one end connectable to a motor driven vehicle such as a tractor and an opposite end provided with a vertical beam or post which is connected at its lower end to a wheel frame and to which one of the towed implements may be connected. Intermediate its end, the vertical post is provided with a double yoke which is rotatably mounted on the post and from which extends a second towing arm. The second towing arm has two portions each of which is connected to the yoke for pivotal movement about respective horizontal axes. The two portions of the second towing arm at thier free ends are each provided with ground engaging wheels and towing devices for connection to implements to be towed. The vertical post of the main towing arm spaces the main towing arm a sufficient distance above the ground to permit the second towing arm to rotate in a horizontal plane located beneath a portion of the main towing arm. Further, the vertical post of the main towing arm is provided with a hydraulic ram which has one end connected to the second towing arm to effect rotation of the second towing arm in a horizontal plane whereby the second towing arm can be moved from a position where it is in alignment with the direction of movement of the tractor for on the road travel to an extended position where the towed implements will be spread out behind the tractor.
It will be seen that in addition to the advantage of facilitating rapid rearrangement of the towed implements behind the tractor, the multiple pivot connection of the second towing arm will greatly relieve the frequently encountered stresses that are imposed on the various elements of the towing apparatus due to the traversing of uneven terrain in a field.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as consideration is given to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the following drawings.